William Earnest “Bill” Stewart, 95, died Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at Maury Regional Medical Center.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Brother Anthony Muston and Brother Wilson Henderson officiating. Entombment will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens Mausoleum with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Tuesday, December 3, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Highland Park Baptist Church 1800 Highland Avenue, Columbia, TN 38401.
Bill was born July 22, 1929 in New Market, Alabama to the late William A. Stewart and the late Lettie Allie Stewart. He attended school in Madison County, Alabama and joined the United States Navy in 1947 and served four and half years during the Korean War. While in service he finished high school at McKinley High School in Hawaii. Upon his discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1951 he went to work for Monsanto Chemical Company and played baseball with the Monsanto Maulers for one season before signing with the Pittsburg Pirates for three years: 1953, 1954, and 1955. He played semi pro with the Caterpillar Tractors in Peoria, Illinois and the Huntsville Parkers in Huntsville, Alabama where they won third place of the nation out of 38 states participating in 1956. He was honored being in two baseball hall of fames in the State of Illinois Hall of Fame in 1990 and Madison County, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
He attended two years of college at the University of Alabama and graduated from Purdue University in 1972 with a B.S. degree in Agronomy. He also studied business minded supervision at the University of Wisconsin.
Bill made his career in the golf course business where he spent the next 44 years managing clubs and building new ones. Some of the most elite clubs were the Country Club of Peoria, Goose Pond in Scottsboro, Alabama, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach, FL, Scenic Hills Country Club in Pensacola, FL, New Orleans Country Club in Louisiana, Las Creek Country Club in Texas, Perdido Bay Country Club home of the “Pensacola Open” for nine years, and retired from Rocky Bay Country Club in 1997. After retirement he decided to work part time being a funeral assistant at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home and recently retired on his 95th birthday in July.
He had many interests over the years including coaching softball, football, and basketball teams, coaching Pony League and Little League through the American Legion, taught swimming and directed physical education department at the YMCA in Huntsville, Alabama, served on the school board in Peoria, Illinois, taught youth Sunday school for nine years in Illinois at Dayton Avenue Baptist Church, and served as a deacon at Highland Park Baptist Church where he was a devoted and faithful member.
Survivors include his wife Doris Fay Garvin Haley Stewart of Columbia; two daughters, Kimberly (Tom) Moe of Tennessee and Pamela (Roy) Haimann of Illinois; step son, Todd Haley of Alabama; eight grandchildren, Travis Moe, Jason (Nichole) Stewart, Clayton (Kortney) Stewart, Nathan (Melissa) Folsom, Jenna Folsom, Amber Johnson, Kristi (Kevin) Skelton, Bridger Moe; two step grandchildren, Lauren Haley Wood and Jack Haley; 13 great grandchildren; brother in law and sister in law, James and Barbara Garvin; sisters in law, Shirley Stewart; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife Betty Scroggins Stewart on March 12, 2009, a son, Steve Stewart; three brothers, Howard Lee Stewart, Charley Stewart and Harvey Stewart and one sister, Joyce M. Houk.
Active pallbearers will be Jerry Strahan, Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Elliott, W.L. Culberson, Jimmy Fann, Randy Thurman, Randy McNeece, and Bobby Prince. Honorary pallbearers will include members of Highland Park Baptist Church and employees of Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
